State grant to transform North Country Co-op

The North Country Food Co-op, located at 25 Bridge St. in Plattsburgh, sells bulk and organic foods.

PLATTSBURGH — Jeremiah Ward is standing in an alleyway in downtown Plattsburgh, and he’s excited.

The once cluttered and dirty alleyway behind the North Country Co-op on Bridge Street has recently been cleaned, and Ward, project leader for the co-op, has big plans for the space.

The downtown store will soon “be putting in the works” as Ward puts it, adding more cooler space, a new prep area and increasing shelf space (from 24 to 35). This is part of phase one of the business’ plans, where they will use a $106,000 loan from the cooperative fund of New England, a $50,000 loan from the City of Plattsburgh and $44,000 from their reserves to buy the equipment for the renovations.

“Starting in January, we’ll be shutting off parts of our store,” said Ward. “We will be trying to stay operational during the whole process.”

The second phase includes renovations to the store’s facade, which has been made possible by a huge influx of capital.

That includes a $218,000 state grant awarded through the New York Main Street program, an initiative that provides financial resources to communities to strengthen “economic vitality,” and $72,000 in member loans to serve as the mandated matching component to the grant.

CHANGES FROM THE INSIDE OUT

The indoor renovations, set to be completed next spring, aren’t the only changes that will be coming to the co-op.

On tap is an outdoor café area. The space will utilize the new prep area inside the co-op with a service window leading outside, where there will be seating in the alleyway behind the building and above on a balcony leading to the building’s second floor.

“We’re hoping that people will buy meals the co-op already makes, and come outside and hang out,” said Ward.

The alley is just across the street from one of the city’s oldest businesses, the Plattsburgh Shoe Hospital, and a highly-praised Plattsburgh staple, Iris’s. The co-op is completely surrounded by local businesses, and the members are proud of that fact.

The co-op sees this new space as a potential tool for helping new businesses develop in the downtown area.

“One of the reasons you see a lot of empty storefronts in Plattsburgh is because the property owners are charging a lot in rent,” said Ward.

He said that this high rent makes it hard for small businesses to take the initial start-up risk when they have to pay upwards of $1,200 per month.

“With this project, we can show other business owners that there are benefits to renting out a portion of your space to other new businesses.”

Ward points to the co-op’s deli as an example. He says that though the prepared foods deli is operated under the umbrella of the co-op, it could just as well be a separate business.

As for the alleyway project, Ward says residents will only have to wait a little while longer.

The $218,000 in funds cannot be allocated to the alleyway project.

“We have until spring to raise capital, finalize the plans,” said Ward. “Then hopefully when all of the interior renovations are done, we can focus all of our energy into making the café happen next year.”

Also on tap is a new mural. This month, the business will team up with Outside Art: The Plattsburgh Public Art Project to revitalize its back alleyway with the fifth in a series of new murals popping up in the downtown area.

“Having the mural there makes the case that this space is for people,” said Julia Devine, co-director of the ‘Outside Art’ project. “And something is happening here.”